Breathing

One of my yoga teachers recently posted a video about how people say “don’t listen to her, she thinks the cure to everything is breathing.” My mindless scrolling of Instagram paused, and I asked myself: Am I breathing? More importantly, am I breathing consciously?

In the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali, one of the foundational texts of yogic philosophy, Patañjali writes about pranayama, the regulation of the inhale and exhale. How many of us pay attention to our breath as it relates to our thoughts and minds? To the inhale and exhale? To the warmth or coolness of it moving through our nostrils? How many of us are conscious of when we are breathing deeply into the diaphragm?

As a therapist and yoga teacher, I often invite people to bring attention to their breath. We may breathe at the beginning or end of sessions. We may invite that space for exploration. Occasionally, I may invite a client to practice a breath manipulation technique.

Why do therapists and yogis emphasize breathing?

When we bring our attention to the breath, and when we attempt to regulate it, we can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the system associated with rest and recovery. It can help signal to the body that we are safe. When our nervous system experiences a greater sense of safety, we have more space to engage in things like digestion, contemplation, creativity, and healing. The breath can be a gateway to this state of being.

Even as a therapist and yoga practitioner of over a decade, I can forget these tools. Sometimes life, chores, work, and to-dos pile up, and I become disconnected from these practices myself.

So, can we take a moment each day to consciously and with attention bring our awareness to our breath?

You can try it now. Sit comfortably and close your eyes, if that feels comfortable. Feel the inhale fill your nostrils and your lungs, and feel your diaphragm expand. Take a brief pause, and then exhale, feeling the air leave your lungs and move through your nostrils.

Take three more breaths, paying attention to each inhale and exhale.

When you’re ready, open your eyes.